I didn't study the history of GenCon as I haven't gone every year. But I went in the 90s, it was fun. Went back in 2002, the first year (for me) since WOTC had bought out TSR. It wasn't as fun. And from most of the people I talked to (GMs and convention goers alike) that year, the fun had been deflated since WOTC took the helm.
Your other primary complaint seems to be that the RPG events are dominated by big organizations. Which organizations are you thinking of? The RPGA? That's about it.
Game Base 7 was my particular bad experiences. After 2 games with thier group, I decided to skip any other games I had already purchased with them.
Conversely, while some of the best games I've ever played have been independent (like Todd Furler's games), some of the worst games I've ever played have been independent (Gen Con is not the place to try GMing for the first time).
I'll agree with you there, the best game I have ever had was an independant game the same year as the disasterous Game Base 7 games. I know the independants are still around, but they were few and far between the year I last attended.
Maybe things have improved since 2002. I'll know in a couple of years when I return to GenCon. But the GenCon's of the 90s were an amazing time that left a cold bitter taste in my mouth after the 2002 Con.
Back in the day, when TSR ruled the D&D community, Gen Con was the true vision of nerdyness. The games were hosted by DMs and GMs who just like to play games. The games were fun because they were created by any Joe out there who could come up with a game. There would be a prize given to the winner of the games to. Usually a $10 to $25 gift certificate for anything on the convention floor. When you played with a table full of strangers, you did your best and had fun.
Nowadays, the role playing games that are played at Gen Con are hosted mainly by big organizations that crank out the same 10 games and play those 10 games at 35 different times. Their GMs and DMs are all handed the adventure about an hour before they play the game, so they just dully drone through whatever is written to say to the players. There is no prize given, WOTC killed that idea. So no one tries that hard to role-play, they just listen to the cardboard cutout DM drone on.
It makes me sad.
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I didn't study the history of GenCon as I haven't gone every year. But I went in the 90s, it was fun. Went back in 2002, the first year (for me) since WOTC had bought out TSR. It wasn't as fun. And from most of the people I talked to (GMs and convention goers alike) that year, the fun had been deflated since WOTC took the helm.
Your other primary complaint seems to be that the RPG events are dominated by big organizations. Which organizations are you thinking of? The RPGA? That's about it.
Game Base 7 was my particular bad experiences. After 2 games with thier group, I decided to skip any other games I had already purchased with them.
Conversely, while some of the best games I've ever played have been independent (like Todd Furler's games), some of the worst games I've ever played have been independent (Gen Con is not the place to try GMing for the first time).
I'll agree with you there, the best game I have ever had was an independant game the same year as the disasterous Game Base 7 games. I know the independants are still around, but they were few and far between the year I last attended.
Maybe things have improved since 2002. I'll know in a couple of years when I return to GenCon. But the GenCon's of the 90s were an amazing time that left a cold bitter taste in my mouth after the 2002 Con.
Just hope the A/C dosent break down!
If so, you must roll a saving throw vs Fortitude or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.
Back in the day, when TSR ruled the D&D community, Gen Con was the true vision of nerdyness. The games were hosted by DMs and GMs who just like to play games. The games were fun because they were created by any Joe out there who could come up with a game. There would be a prize given to the winner of the games to. Usually a $10 to $25 gift certificate for anything on the convention floor. When you played with a table full of strangers, you did your best and had fun. Nowadays, the role playing games that are played at Gen Con are hosted mainly by big organizations that crank out the same 10 games and play those 10 games at 35 different times. Their GMs and DMs are all handed the adventure about an hour before they play the game, so they just dully drone through whatever is written to say to the players. There is no prize given, WOTC killed that idea. So no one tries that hard to role-play, they just listen to the cardboard cutout DM drone on. It makes me sad.
Is the video games that mimic P2P Filesharing so if I get caught doing that I can call Mr. Thompson and use that as my defense.